Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Management by judo could be the next strategic thing. Basic techniques are 'define the competitive space' - compete with a stronger player only where he's weak - and the puppy-dog ploy. David B Yoffie and Mary Kwak of Harvard Business School describe this as keeping a low profile and avoiding battles that you're too weak to win. Combine the two to create a window of opportunity, then 'follow through fast', before opponents can react. Other stratagems include 'grip your opponent', avoid tit-for-tat, and 'practise ukemi' - the technique of falling safely, thus resuming battle quickly. Whatever you do, though, avoid the Netscape cheek ('We'll make Windows obsolete') that provoked Microsoft into decisive retaliation. Netscape's failed strategy is known as 'mooning the giant'.